1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of cigar holders.
2. Description of Related Art
Cigar holders generally serve several purposes. First, cigar holders must be capable of holding a cigar. Second, the surface area of the cigar in contact with the holder is minimized. Third, in general there is a repository for the ash produced from the cigar as it is burned.
Referring to FIG. 1 in the drawings, an example of a cigar holder 101. Cigar holder 101 comprises a notch 111 that is sized for a cigar 121. Cigar holder 101 has a recessed area 131 capable of holding the ash produced as cigar 121 is consumed by combustion.
There are no typical size for cigars. The general range of diameters of cigars starts around 28/64's of an inch and ends around 54/64's of an inch. The general range of lengths of cigars starts at around 4½ inches and around 9¼ inches. Additionally, there is no common shape of cigars. Cigars can be straight sided or irregularly shaped. Some of the irregular shaped cigars can be shaped like torpedoes, pyramids, perfectos, and presidentes. Cigars have three general regions: an opened end or foot 141 of the cigar, a closed end called the head 151, and a body 161 located generally between the foot 141 and the head 151. The head 151 is sealed during manufacture of the cigar and normally opened before consumption of the cigar. The foot 141 is the part of the cigar that is ignited.
Previous attempts to secure cigars such as the cigar holder 101 have been designed to accommodate the wide variety of cigars shapes, lengths, and diameters. To prevent sweating of the cigar during combustion the cigar normally rests in the notch such that only the body 161 and the notch 111 are in contact. Sweating occurs where the tars and other byproducts of incomplete combustion are transferred back onto the cigar from contact with the holder. For example, the notch 111 in cigar holder 101 must be sized so that the largest diameter cigars will be contained. Sizing the notch 111 so large creates a problem when smaller diameter cigars are used with cigar holder 101. Smaller diameter cigars are left with extra room in the notch 111, resulting in a less secure hold. Additionally, the length of the cigar holder 101 must be great in order to accommodate the wide variance in cigar lengths. Cigar holder 101 is typically fabricated from a noncombustible material like glass. These design constraints results in a cigar holder 101 that is destined for a flat surface like a desk or table because of the size and weight of the cigar holder 101.
Considering that cigar smoking is a recreational activity, some cigar smokers prefer to combine cigar smoking with other recreational activities. For example, some cigar smokers prefer to smoke cigars while playing golf. Since golf requires the use of both hands to swing, cigar smoking while playing a round requires the cigar to be placed somewhere while swinging. It is undesirable to place the cigar on the ground while swinging. Damage to the cigar may occur while the cigar is on the ground. While it is possible to swing a golf club while holding the cigar in the golfer's mouth, it is not very practical to do so. Additionally, the cigar holder 101 would not be suitable on a golf cart. Because golf carts are typically rented during a golfing round a temporary and secure cigar holder is necessary.
Thus, there exists significant room for improvement in the art for overcoming these and other shortcomings of conventional cigar holders for securing cigars.
While the assembly of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims.